Signed by Governor Tim Walz

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes expansions of the state's energy conservation programs to extend to electrification measures and save money.

Highlights:

• Classifies "innovative clean technology" as advanced energy​ technology that is (Sec. 2.a):​

• Environmentally superior to technologies currently in use;​

• Expected to offer energy-related, environmental, or economic benefits; and​

• Not widely deployed by the utility industry.​

• Authorizes a public utility to petition the commission for authorization to invest in a project​ or projects to deploy one or more innovative clean technologies to further the development,​ commercialization, and deployment of innovative clean technologies that benefit the public​ utility's customers (Sec. 2.b).​

• Alleges optimizing the timing and method used by energy consumers to manage energy use provides significant benefits to the consumers and to the utility system as a whole (Sec. 3.a).

• Authorizes the balance of energy savings​ toward the annual energy-savings goal may be achieved only by the following​ consumer-owned utility activities (Sec. 5-2):​

• Energy savings from additional energy conservation improvements;​

• Electric utility infrastructure projects that result in increased efficiency greater than would have occurred through normal​ maintenance activity;​

• Net energy savings from efficient fuel-switching improvements that meet the criteria​; or​

• Subject to department approval, demand-side natural gas or electric energy displaced​ by use of waste heat recovered and used as thermal energy, including the recovered thermal​ energy from a cogeneration or combined heat and power facility.​

• Requires a multiyear plan that does not, in each​ year of the plan, meet both the minimum energy savings goal from energy conservation​ improvements and the total energy savings goal of 1.5 percent, or lower goals adjusted by​ the commissioner to (Sec. 5-3.b):​

• State why each goal is projected to be unmet; and​

• Demonstrate how the consumer-owned utility proposes to meet both goals on an​ average basis over the duration of the plan.​

• Requires the energy conservation and optimization plan of a consumer-owned utility to include activities to improve energy efficiency in the public schools served by the utility.​ These activities may include programs to (Sec. 5-3.j):​

• Increase the efficiency of the school's lighting and heating and cooling systems;​

• Recommission buildings;​

• Train building operators; and​

• Provide opportunities to educate students, teachers, and staff regarding energy​ efficiency measures implemented at the school.​

• Authorizes a public utility to file annually, or the Public Utilities Commission may require​ the public utility to file, and the commission may approve, rate schedules containing​ provisions for the automatic adjustment of charges for utility service in direct relation to changes in the expenses of the public utility for real and personal property taxes, fees, and​ permits, the amounts of which the public utility cannot control (Sec. 12.b).

• Requires the commissioner to develop and establish guidelines to determine the eligibility​ of multifamily buildings to participate in low-income energy conservation programs (Sec. 15.e).​

Full Bill Text